READING, Pa. - The TCNJ baseball team was back on the road to take on Alvernia University in non-conference action Tuesday afternoon, falling 22-11 to the Golden Wolves.
 
The Lions (16-9, 5-1 NJAC) struck first in the opening inning on an RBI double from Zach Hochheiser to make it a 1-0 game, but a three-run bottom of the inning quickly turned TCNJ's advantage into a 3-1 deficit.
 
The blue and gold added another run in the second as well as a pair in the fourth to tie things at 4-4, but a six-run outburst in the home half made it 10-4 and gave Alvernia (17-11, 9-3 MAC) a lead it would hold the rest of the way.
 
No stranger to a comeback, the Lions made one final push after Justin Marcario hit his first homer of the season in the fifth – a three-run shot to left center – followed by a two-RBI single off the bat of Jack O'Donnell to trim the lead to 13-9 through the top half of the seventh. That is as close as the Lions would get, however, as they were outscored 9-2 in the final two frames en route to the 22-11 loss.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Marcario: 4-5, 2 runs, 3 RBIs
• Mike LaGravenis: 3-5, 3 runs
• Hochheiser: 3-5, 2 RBIs
• Andrew Fernandez: 2-3, 2 runs

FOR THE FOES

• Logan Nelson: 4-5, 3 runs, 5 RBIs
• Jack Zabarsky: 1-1, 5 runs
• Joe Glass: 4-5, 3 runs, 4 RBIs
• RJ Emrich: 3-6, 2 runs, 6 RBIs

UP NEXT

• The Lions will return to NJAC play with a doubleheader against Stockton Thursday, April 10. First pitch of the twin bill – which will be played at Trenton Thunder Ballpark – is set for 2 p.m.